Story: Caught in the midst of the Hundred Year's War, the planet Scarax was the sight of a bloody stalemate between Balarant and Gilgamesh forces, fighting for the large stockpiles of Juirium in the frozen north. Both sides remained locked in brutal back-and-forth trench warfare across the planet. That was, until the battle of Kharos Plain. After a long day of fighting, both sides took up shelter against Scarax's brutally cold nights. But that did not sit well with Colonel Varg Betros, Gilgamesh Soldier and Ex-Red Shoulder. Betros, under the cover of night, opened fire on his own "cowardly" forces, pushing them out of cover and hopefully to attack the enemy. However, hearing the gunshots, Balarant forces launched an attack, catching the Gilgamesh soldiers off-guard, ending in a slaughter. Small pockets of Gilgamesh groups retreated, and Betros vanished, taking with him his custom Scopedog and a small force of intensely loyal soldiers, some ex-Red Shoulders themselves.

Now, the Gilgamesh Confederacy has deployed Advanced Recon Force 356, a small, elite task force to Scarax. While many Gilgamesh forces are already abandoning the planet, ARF-3356 has one simple goal: find Betros and his followers, and terminate them with extreme prejudice.

Gameplay: The first batch of PCs would make up ARF-356, with newcomers joining as refugees from the conflict. The PCs don't have to just be Scopedog pilots: while the Scopedog has the most versatility and options for customization, they could also pilot a Standing Tortoise, or maybe later go out on foot with an Anti-AT Rifle (A la Armor Hunter Merrowlink). I'm considering using a point-buy system for AT customization, so we don't get swamped with missile/dakka-spamming mechs.

All the action would by PC vs. GM. Some episodes would revolve around ARF-356 having to deal with the advancing Balarant threat or Betros's minions, while others would involve down-time at rest stops, searching for clues about Betros's location, or braving the dangerous conditions of Scarax. (It's mostly inspired by the Russian/European Taiga) PVP action would likely be non-existent, unless someone happens to be a double agent...

Ok, with the intro you've already read out of the way, let's get to work.

For those unfamiliar with VOTOMs, I'd advise you to take a look at the viewer's guide, currently hosted on mediafire. It's a great resource.

Ah, well honestly a lot of the universe is undefined- feel free to just make a planet up like I did for Betros. As long as it's not earth or mars or something like that, it should be good enough.

However, I will reference Rogue Trader and give you a bunch of good homeworld archtypes-

Dead World- Ravaged by war, the Dead world is your post-apocalyptic nightmare. It's dog-eat dog, and a struggle to get by every day. The few people living there have to salvage from the carnage just to survive.

Industrial world- A world contributing resources and supplies to the war effort. While not all of them are one giant factory, the planet is covered in mines, refineries, workshops, or even farms. People here are born workers and have a strong sense of purpose. They know that they are the backbone behind the military.

City world- Either one giant city, or instead populated by tons of cities in between barren wastelands, the people here are used to the hustle and bustle of urban life. Crime is often hard to control, and the gap between rich and poor tends to be massive.

Spaceships- For those born and raised in space, life is one big adventure. They see all sorts of things, and meet all sorts of people. Still, wanderlust is always a problem.

Well I'll have Colonel Zoltho give the final lineup in the first episode, but I'm thinking so far you could either swap out the rifle for an alternate weapon, and maybe either mount one other weapon or feature like additional armor or impact bars. Or you could have it stripped to make a Light Scopedog.

The first episode is going to take place in orbit, and will all be character development. It'll be a mission briefing, open up for socialization, and then the party will be getting ready for the orbital drop. After that, I'll open up a thread in here scopedog customization, and keep that as a record and general reference. Episode 2 will open with the party's insertion, with their scopedogs ready.

When's Go TIme? Cripes, didn't this thing get 8 votes yet I see only three in the sign up thread. If you voted for something it should mean that you intend to take part....I didn't but I'll be submitting something on Sunday after I watch a couple of episodes of this thing.